Attack on Titan: The Lost Child
by Lady Dory
Summary: A little girl is injured and falls unconscious in a field after escaping from the bandits. Her life is soon changed for the better when she is taken in by the Levi Squad of the Scouting Regiment.
1. Lost and Found

**l have to say, as much as I love Attack on Titan I never thought I'd actually do a fanfic on it, as I prefer family friendly shows and video games. But, I've had this idea in the back of my head for a long time and I want to get this out now. Of course before I begin there's one thing you guys should know.**

**This story will mostly be told from my character's point of view. Yes there's an OC in the story. Now I know there's some people out there that are gonna yell at me in the reviews "NOOOOOOO OC'S ARE STUPID, THEY RUIN THE STORY, FANFICS ARE BETTER WITHOUT THEM!" And my response is...umm, well pleeeeeeeaaaaaasssseee try to give my OC a chance?**

**With that said, let's begin.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan or any of the characters except for my oc.**

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**Attack on Titan: The Lost Child**

**Chapter 1: Lost and Found**

There I was…in the back of the carriage, my hands and legs tied up, and my mouth covered so I couldn't move or speak. I was being taken away by two bandits. Where they were taking me, I didn't know, but I felt so scared and helpless. What was going to happen to me? I looked up over at the bandits. They were talking to each other, with one bandit holding the reins, leading the horses as they pulled the carriage through the dark and rainy forest.

"So, you think this kid will be worth any money?" I heard one of them ask.

"Of course she will be." The other bandit said. "They say that little red haired girls are very valuable. I bet we'll get paid at least 100,000 yen when we sell her to the Underground Market."

My eyes widened with fright. I was...going to be sold to the Underground Market? I didn't know what kind of market that was, but it made me even more scared. I lowered my head, thinking of my family. Mother...Father...Aunt Hilda. My parents were killed when the titans invaded Shiganshina, and the bandits killed Aunt Hilda and then captured me after they suddenly showed up in the village. Tears started flowing from my eyes as those memories played in my head. Was I really going to be sold to the Underground Market? Would no one come and rescue me? Was this the end for me?

I heard the bandits snap the reins and the horses started to speed up. Soon I felt the carriage shaking. At first I thought it was an earthquake. But then I guessed that we were going over a bumpy road or something. Because of the strong shaking, I started to bounce a little. Then it happened, I fell out of the carriage, bounced on the dirt, then I rolled down a steep hill until I hit a tree at the bottom.

Ouch, that really hurt. I laid there on the ground for a moment. I couldn't believe it, but I wasn't held captive anymore. I was free...well sort of anyway. After struggling for a while I manage to free my hands and legs from the ropes and I untied the cloth that covered my mouth. Then I picked myself up and looked up the hill I came down from. I wondered if the bandits knew that I fell out of the carriage. If they found out that I was missing they would probably try to find me again, and it was raining out here too.

Knowing that I couldn't stay here, I started to run through the woods. I didn't know where I was going or where I would end up, but I kept running anyway. I had to get away from those horrible bandits. I didn't want to be captured again. The bandits weren't the only ones I was worried about. I was in a forest, so there could wild animals out there that could get me as well. I ran and ran as fast as my feet could carry me. I was panting hard, and my heart was racing. I almost tripped over something, but I regained myself and kept running, hoping I could at least find someplace safe.

After running for a long time, I was out of the forest and in a grassy field. The rain had finally stopped too. I started to slow down. My legs were sore from all that running. My clothes were wet and dirty from the rain and from running through the forest. My head hurt and I felt so dizzy. Then I fell flat on my back, only getting a small glimpse of the night sky before everything went blank.

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Third Person View

The night passed and the sun shone brightly down on the field. It was a peaceful morning. The birds were chirping, a few butterflies flew by, and some flowers were swayed by the gentle breeze. A group of five soldiers were riding through the field on horseback as they were on patrol. This group was none other than the Special Operation Squad from the Scouting Regiment. Levi, who was the Captain of the squad, followed by Petra, Oruo, Gunther, and Eld. As the group rode across the grassy field Petra saw someone lying on the ground in the distance.

"Captain, wait!" She called out to Levi.

With a tug on the reins Levi made his horse stop as the other soldiers did the same. Levi then turned his head toward Petra.

"What is it, Petra?" He asked.

"Look, there's a child out there in the field. I think we should help, they might be hurt." Petra said.

Levi looked over and saw the child on the ground in the distance

"I see, then let's go." Levi said.

The Levi Squad rode towards the spot where the child was. When they got there, they dismounted their horses and gathered around the injured child. Levi gasped when he got a closer look at her.

_That girl, _he thought. _She... almost looks like..._

The little girl had red-brown hair that was tied up in pigtails. Her dress was torn up. Her face, arms and legs, all covered with cuts and bruises. Her eyes were slightly open, and there was a bit of dried blood coming from her mouth. Petra got down on her knees and held the girl in her arms.

"Is she okay?" Eld asked with worry.

"I don't know, she looks like she's seen better days." Gunther said.

"Does she look okay to you? Look at all the wounds she has. I say the kid's most likely dead." Oruo stated bluntly.

"Oruo, don't say that!" Petra cried.

She then looked at the little girl with worry in her eyes. The girl slowly turned her head to the side and blinked her eyes slowly. That made everyone gasp.

"Whoa did you see that?" Gunther asked.

"She's alive." Eld said.

"Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Petra asked with worry.

The little girl did not respond

"Please, talk to me." Petra said more urgently.

Still no response.

"Oh no, this isn't good. We have to help her. Captain, what should we do?" Petra asked turning to Levi.

At first Levi didn't respond. He seemed to be deep in thought about something.

"Captain!"

This time the sound of Petra's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Taking one last glance at the child, he then mounted his horse and turned towards his crew.

"I'll ride back to Headquarters and bring back a carriage and a stretcher for her. You guys stay here and look after the child." Levi ordered.

"Sir." The soldiers obeyed.

With the snap of the reins, Levi rode out of the field heading back to base while the rest of the squad stayed with the girl.

"It's alright," Petra told the girl gently. "You're gonna be okay. Don't worry, we'll take good care of you."


	2. Awakening

**Here's the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan or any of the characters except my oc.**

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**Chapter 2: Awakening**

My eyes slowly opened as I started to wake up. Wow, how long was I out? The first thing I saw after opening my eyes was what looked like a wooden ceiling. Turning my head to the side, there was a woman with ginger hair sitting on a stool next to my bed. She was wearing what looked like a uniform that people wore in the military. A light brown-jacket, white pants, and her body was covered with straps. She seemed to have a worried look on her face, but then she smiled at me.

"Ahh, you're awake." She said happily. Then she got up from the stool and went out the door for a moment.

"Hey everyone, come quick, the girl is waking up!" I heard her call out.

I slowly sat up, rubbing my head. It felt like there was a bandage wrapped around my head. I felt another one on my cheek too. I rolled up the sleeves of my white robe and found bandages on my arms. Wait, where did this white robe come from? If I remember right, I think I was wearing a pink dress before. I looked around the room, wondering where I was. Then I looked at the woman who was standing at the doorway. It looked like she was waiting for someone. Did...did she help me?

After a moment, the ginger haired woman came back in along with three men. I noticed the men were also wearing the same uniforms as the woman. They all gathered around my bed.

"Ahh, so the kid is awake now, huh? Well that's good." I heard the man with dark brown hair say.

"Yes, she must be getting better." The ginger haired woman replied.

Where was I, and who were these people? I was so scared, my body shook and I let out small whimpers. The woman then sat down on her stool and placed a hand on my shoulder, like she was trying to comfort me.

"Hey, don't be scared, it's okay." The woman spoke gently while smiling at me. "We won't hurt you, I promise. You're safe with us now."

Then the woman introduced herself and the rest of the group.

"My name's Petra, and that's Eld, Gunther, and Oruo. We're the Special Operation Squad in the Scout Regiment. Or you might simply call us the Levi Squad." She added with a giggle.

The Scout Regiment? Oh that's right, my father told me about them once. They were the group of soldiers that ventured outside the walls. Whoa, I never thought I'd get to meet them in person. The man named Gunther started to speak up.

"We found you unconscious in a field while we were on patrol. We brought you back here and had the medics treat your wounds. Then we all took turns watching after you." He explained.

"You had us worried there, kid," Eld said. "You were out for almost 4 days. We were afraid you'd never wake up."

4 days, was I really out for that long? Oh man, I guess I was more worn out than I thought. My wounds were treated and bandaged up, but my legs were still aching from all that running. I was a little scared of speaking to the soldiers. My mother always taught me to never talk to strangers, but these people saved me. They were worried about me too. It would be rude of me not to thank them.

"Umm...th-thank you...for saving me." I said to the soldiers while my voice sounded shaky.

"We're glad to help." Petra smiled. "I'm sure it won't be long now until your injuries are fully healed, but if you need anything you let us know, okay? You're in good hands, we'll take good care of you."

"Hmph, don't buy into that, kid," Oruo spoke up. "You're only here for as long as it takes for us to help you find your parents."

"Oh hush." Petra replied with annoyance.

My parents...I guess they don't know. But how can I tell them that I don't have parents anymore? What should I say? And what about the bandits that kidnapped me, should I tell them about that too?

"So the child has awakened."

I gasped after I heard another voice, it sounded deep. I looked around and then saw another man standing in the doorway. He had short black hair and he seemed to have a blank look on his face...creepy.

"Captain Levi!" I heard Petra call out to him.

The man who was named Levi walked in the room

"You must be recovering well if you're able to sit up straight." He said as he knelt down beside my bed. "So, now that you're awake, I'm gonna ask you some questions and you're gonna answer them for us. Think you can do that?

My heart sank when I heard him say that. I guess that means I'll have to tell them about what happened now. It wasn't really something I wanted to talk about, but still I told myself that these people saved me. I probably would've died out there if it weren't for them. They're soldiers, right? So maybe they'll keep me safe if the bandits show up again. I held my hands together against my chest and silently nodded my head.

"Good." Levi replied. "Now first off, what's your name?"

"Yeah what is your name, kid? We go out of our way to save your hide and you don't even introduce yourself?" Oruo said kind of rudely.

"Oruo!" Petra exclaimed angrily.

She then spoke to me again but more calmly.

"It's okay, don't worry about him. But we'd really like to know your name. Please, tell us."

I took a deep breath and managed to introduce myself.

"Ma...Mari...Marianne. Marianne Haywood, 6 years old."

"Marianne huh? Hehe, that's a pretty name." Petra smiled.

We both shared a small giggle before Levi asked me another question.

"Well then, Marianne, what were you doing in the field before you passed out?"

Well, here goes.

"I was...running," I spoke softly to them. "I trying to get away...from those bandits."

"What...bandits?" Petra gasped

"Yes," I replied. "I was staying with Aunt Hilda in a small quiet village. We were planting flowers in the garden, but then these two bandits suddenly showed up. They killed Aunt Hilda, and then they captured me. One of the bandits hit me on the head and I got knocked out. When I woke up, I was on a carriage, tied up."

Petra seemed horrified while Eld and Gunther seemed concerned. Oruo and Levi's expressions didn't change, but...maybe they were worried too?

"That's horrible," Eld replied sadly.

"Yeah, even now there are still thugs out there that cause trouble for people. They don't even go easy on children." Gunther said.

"Do you know what their motives were? The reason for kidnapping you?" Levi asked.

"I'm not really sure, but they said something about selling me to a place called the Underground Market." I answered.

"Oh, so they were gonna take you to that underground city huh?" Oruo spoke. "Yeah there's a whole lot of criminal activity going on there."

"And not only that, but the people living down there fall ill and die due to the lack of sunlight. I wouldn't even leave a fly in that place." Eld said.

Levi seemed to be thinking about something for a moment until he asked me another question.

"Now then, you were captured by bandits, so the fact that you were passed out in the field means that somehow you got away from them, right? How did you manage to escape exactly?"

Umm...let's see, how do I describe it? I closed my eyes as I tried to recall the night I escaped from the bandits. Once I thought of something, I opened my eyes and answered.

"I guess it was more or less by chance. We were going over a bumpy road in the forest. The carriage shook so much that I fell out and rolled down the hill until I hit a tree. After I managed to wriggle myself free of the ropes, I started running through the forest. I didn't know where I was going though, I just ran, trying to get as far away from them as I possibly could. It's kind of hard to remember, it almost seems like a blur to me. One minute I was in the woods and the next thing I know, I was in a grassy field before everything went blank."

"You must have ran quite a long way before passing out. You've got guts, kid." Gunther said.

"Yeah, that's actually impressive I got to admit. It's dangerous out there in the forest, especially at night." Eld said.

"Then one last question." Levi spoke. "Do you know what happened to your parents?"

I lowered my head and clutched the edge of my blanket. Tears were dancing in the corner of my eyes. This was it, I had to tell them.

"My...my mother and father are...dead." I replied with my voice shaking.

I heard Petra gasp before I continued, with tears flowing from my eyes.

"I...lost them...ah...when the titans...invaded Shiganshina. My parents...ahh...uh...we were trying to get...to the boat...to evacuate. But they...uhh nnh...they were killed. I was...ahh...the only one that made it."

At that point I couldn't say anymore. All I could do was cry as the memories played in my head. The soldiers were silent after I told them about my parents. As I continued crying, Petra held my hand.

"I'm so sorry, Marianne." She said quietly. Her voice sounded like she was about to cry too.

"That's too bad. Nothing we can do about it though." Oruo simply said.

The soldiers all gasped except for Levi. I even stopped crying as soon as I heard that.

"What are you saying?" Petra asked surprised at him.

"What do you think? This is headquarters for the military soldiers, it's no place for a child." Oruo stated bluntly before turning to face me. "Sorry kid, but you can't stay here."

I became scared of what Oruo just said. Was he serious, were they really not gonna let me stay? Petra was angered by this. She stood up from the stool and shouted at him.

"Oruo, did you not hear what she said?! She's lost her parents, you want us to abandon her?!"

"What about the village she came from? Surely there's other people there that will take care of her." Oruo countered.

"And what about the bandits?! They're still out there somewhere, what if they come after her again?! If we don't help her, no one will!"

"Well then, there's always the Garrisons, or even the Military Police. I bet they'll protect her."

"Listen to you, Oruo! It's almost as if you don't want her here!"

"We're the Scouts, and she's just a little brat. The most she'll do is get in the way!"

"That's ridiculous!"

That's when Levi stood up and spoke sharply to them, breaking up the argument they were having.

"Petra! Oruo! That's enough, both of you!"

Everything was silent for a moment until Petra apologized to Levi.

"I'm sorry, Captain."

I watched as Levi started to walk out of the room. He stopped at the doorway before turning to face me.

"If you stay here, you're gonna learn how to clean. Once you've recovered that is."

That's what he said to me before he walked out.

"Well, I suppose we oughta get back to work now." Gunther said

"You rest up now, ya hear." Eld told me.

I watched as he and Gunther walked out of the room, followed by Oruo, though he said nothing and just scoffed. Petra, however, sat back down on her stool.

"Are you alright, Marianne?" She asked as she tried to comfort me. "I'm really sorry about your parents. But try to cheer up, I'm sure they are watching over you knowing that you're safe."

"Umm...will I...be staying here?" I sniffed.

"I'd like to think so. Of course that's really for Erwin to decide."

"Erwin?"

"He's the Commander of the Scout Regiment. I think Levi's gone to his office to talk to him about it. Once he's explained the situation, I'm sure the Commander will understand."

I lowered my head as I thought about the things Oruo said. I wondered if he really didn't want me to be here. Does he really think I'll get in everyone's way?

"You poor child. You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Petra gently stroked the side of my face. "It's true that we don't usually have kids living here at headquarters. Don't worry though, we'll make sure you have everything you need."

Hearing that gave me a bit of hope. I looked up at Petra and smiled.

"By the way, don't pay attention to everything Oruo says, okay? I don't know what's going on with him. It's like he's trying imitate Levi's way of speaking." Petra explained.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, and he's doing a really poor job at it too. Even the Captain himself finds it annoying."

So Oruo was trying to imitate Levi? That's kind of weird.

"Well Marianne, I've got to get back to work now." Petra said as she stood up from her stool. "But when I'm done I'll bring you a nice hot bowl of soup. Sound good?"

"Umm, okay sure." I replied while holding my stomach. "I guess I am pretty hungry."

"I'm sure you must be after sleeping for 4 days." Petra giggled. "I'll see you later then."

With that, Petra walked out and closed the door behind her. I laid back down on my bed, thinking about the soldiers that saved me. Petra sure seemed like a really nice woman. She was so kind to me. Eld and Gunther seemed nice too. Oruo I wasn't sure about. It did almost seem like he didn't want me here, but I guess I shouldn't worry too much. I wonder about Levi though. He said I would be doing some cleaning when I got better. I hope it's nothing too difficult.

After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, my eyes grew heavy. So I pulled up the covers and fell asleep.


	3. Recovery

**Hey guys, sorry for not updating in a while. Not my fault though, my laptop decided that it wanted to crash on me. I'm back now.**

**From this point onward the story will now have a soundtrack. I wasn't going to add a soundtrack for this story originally, but there's a lot of good music from the AOT video games so what the heck. I'm gonna do it.**

**Also I don't really know the layout of the Headquarters so if I get it wrong please don't get mad.**

**My character, Marianne, will say "Levi" but only while she's narrating. During the dialogue, she'll pronounce his name wrong as "Levy" (Lev-ee.)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan or any of the characters except my OC.**

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**Chapter 3: Recovery**

_Soundtrack 12 - AOT Escape from Death_

Meanwhile over in Levi's perspective, Levi was on his way to Commander Erwin's Office. The child that he and his squad brought back a few days ago was still bandaged up, but was making a smooth recovery. However, since the young girl had lost her parents, she had nowhere to go. After listening to what she had to say, Oruo and Petra got into an argument about whether or not she should stay here.

As Levi ascended a flight of stairs, he recalled that Oruo brought up about whether the child should be entrusted to either the Garrisons or the Military Police. Placing the girl in the hands of the Military Police was out of the question. Why Oruo thought that was a good idea was beyond him. The Military Police Regiment served the king and maintained order within the walls. However they were also the most corrupted military sector because of the abuse of their power. Levi knew the MPs would not help her at all. The Garrison Regiment was a slightly better option. At least some of the Garrison soldiers actually helped people, and they haven't been slacking ever since Wall Maria fell. Still, Levi was fairly certain that Erwin would allow the young girl to stay here with the Scouts. It would be the safest option anyway. The Garrison Regiment was in charge of the wall's defenses. Sadly though, catching criminals was a job only for the Military Police.

Arriving at the door to Erwin's Office, Levi knocked on it.

"Come in."

He opened the door and found Erwin sitting at his desk. Erwin looked up from his paperwork and saw Levi standing at the doorway, in which the two greeted each other.

"Levi"

"Erwin"

Levi walked in the room towards the desk and started speaking.

"I came to give you the update about the girl we rescued."

After the SOS (Special Operation Squad) brought the injured girl back to Headquarters, Levi immediately went to Erwin and explained the situation to him. Erwin then had the medics take the child to the infirmary and treat her wounds. After that, the Commander had Levi and the rest of his squad take turns watching after her. If anything happened, Levi would report back to him with the update on the child.

"How is she?" Erwin asked.

"She was out for 4 days, but she's finally woken up now. My team and I just spoke to her recently." Levi answered.

"So she is getting better then, that's good." Erwin smiled. "Were you able to get any information from her to help us locate her parents?"

"Her name is Marianne Haywood, age 6, from Shiganshina District. She has told us about her parents. But we'll never find them, because she lost them."

"How did she lose her parents? Did she say?"

"She didn't specify. Her parents were killed when the titans broke Wall Maria and she was the only one who made it to safety. That was all she could say before she burst into tears."

Erwin lowered his head, feeling sympathy for the child. It was understandable why she wouldn't want to talk about her parents' deaths. While he was no stranger to death, it saddened him that the poor girl lost her parents at such a young age.

"Does Marianne have any relatives?" Erwin asked, facing Levi again.

"Only one that we know of." Levi replied. "She was staying with her aunt, named Hilda, in a small village until two bandits suddenly showed up. They killed Hilda, then they kidnapped the child."

"What did the bandits want with her?"

"From what Marianne told me, apparently they were gonna sell her to the Underground Market."

"Hmm, they must be human traffickers then."

"Yeah, the worst kind of humans." Levi exhaled rather strongly. This child had lost her parents, and now human traffickers were trying to take her to the Underground City and sell her there? The mere thought disgusted him.

"So what happened, what else did she tell you?" Erwin asked.

"Marianne was lucky to escape from her captors on her own. The bandits were going too fast on an edgy road and she fell out of the carriage. After that, she ran through the woods for who knows how long, injuring herself in the process, and ended up passing out in the field. Of course, you know what happens after that." Levi finished.

"I see."

Levi's explanation gave Erwin a chance to think about what they should do with the child. It wasn't long before the Commander reached a decision.

"It's settled then. Marianne will stay here from now on."

"Is that so?" Levi asked.

"Yes, she'll be safe here with the Scouts. Her parents and her aunt have been taken from her, and she needs someone to take care of her. As long as the Human Traffickers are still at large, they may come after her again." Erwin explained. "Levi, I want you to keep a close eye on her. Make sure she doesn't get herself into any trouble. Catching the bandits is a job for the Military Police, but should they show up again, do whatever you can to protect her."

"Understood." Levi nodded.

With that, Levi was dismissed as he left the Office and walked down the hall. Ordinarily he hated having to babysit someone, but in Marianne's case, he would make the best of it. She was just a kid after all.

(_Of course, she will be put to work, cleaning the base once she has recovered,_) Levi thought. (_No, before that, she needs to be cleaned up herself._)

_Music stops_

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First Person View - Marianne

Almost a week had come and gone since I was brought to the Scout Regiment Headquarters. During that time, the members of the Levi Squad would come check up on me to see if I needed anything. Petra brought me food when I was hungry, and I never got out of bed except for when nature called. Eld and Gunther led me to the bathroom and back again since I didn't know my way around the place yet. Oruo checked on me as well, but I had this feeling that he didn't like me very much. Finally the day had come when I made a full recovery.

_Inside the Wall - Daytime - AOT 2_

"There, you're all better." The medic soldier said once he finished removing my bandages.

I got out of bed but I was kind of wobbly on my feet. Petra held onto my shoulders to keep me steady.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Petra asked worriedly, "She looks a little...unsteady."

"Well anyone would be unsteady on their feet if they stayed in bed long enough." The medic chuckled a bit. "But yes, her injuries are all healed, so she'll be okay to move around now."

Petra smiled. "Well that's good."

"I'll be going now." The medic said as he stood up. "You take care of yourself Marianne, okay?"

"Okay sir," I said.

After the medic left the room Petra knelt down on the floor and motioned her hand for me to come here. I did so and she wrapped her arms around me, giving me a hug.

"I'm so glad you're better now." She said as she stroked my hair.

I smiled as I hugged her back. I could tell that she was really happy that I was well again. When I told everyone that I lost my parents, Petra held my hand and said she was sorry. She argued with Oruo when he said I couldn't stay here, because she knew I had nowhere to go or no one to turn to. She really cared about me, didn't she.

"Thanks Petra, me too." I said.

It's true, I was happy that I was all better too. It was so boring, just staying in bed all day and doing nothing everyday. So I was glad that my wounds healed and I could move around again.

"I'm going to tell the rest of the squad the good news," Petra said as she stood up. "You just wait here, okay?"

"Okay." I replied.

After Petra left the room, I walked over to the window and stood there, looking out. The sky was blue, there were a few clouds floating up there, but the sun was shining brightly. It looked so peaceful out there. I stared up at the sky for a bit until I heard someone call my name.

"Oi, Marianne."

I turned around to see Levi at the doorway as he was walking in.

"Oh umm...h-hello sir." I shyly greeted him as I bowed respectfully. "Uhhh…Levy was it?"

"It's Levi." He corrected as he stood before me.

Yeah, I would get his name wrong...a lot. Tee hee, hopefully I get it right someday.

"Since you're standing on your own two feet now, it can only mean that you have made a full recovery." Levi spoke.

"Y-yes sir, I'm all better now. See...no more boo boos." I giggled a bit.

"Hmph, well anyway, you'll be happy to know that Commander Erwin has decided to let you live here from now on."

"Ah...really?"

I was both excited and relieved when Levi told me that. For awhile I was afraid that I would be taken to the Garrisons or the Military Police like Oruo said. Thank goodness they were letting me stay here.

Levi continued, "There is still a problem."

"Huh?" What did he mean by that?

"Your wounds are gone, but you can't go strolling around this place while you're still covered in dirt."

Levi walked up to me and ran his fingers through my hair until he found something.

"Ugh disgusting, you have gunk all over your hair."

What, there was gunk in my hair? How did that get there? That's weird...I guess I might've fallen in a mud puddle or something back in the forest. And I guess I've been resting so much I never noticed.

"Follow me, I'll take you to the washroom, because you need a bath." Levi said bluntly.

* * *

Levi led me to the washroom where I would be taking a bath. Inside the washroom to my right there were shower stalls lined up on each side, and there was a tub to my left. Once Levi got the tub filled up, he told me to be sure that I washed myself good. He said he'd be back to clean my hair. After he left the room, I untied my hair from its pigtails. I then tossed my robe into a basket and got in the tub.

Ahhh, the water felt so relaxing, I could almost fall asleep. But I couldn't do that, my body would get all wrinkly if I stayed in the tub for too long. I hummed a gentle tune as I washed all the dirt off myself. Then I ran my fingers through my hair until I felt something and pulled it out. There was black stuff on my hand. Ew, Levi was right, there really was gunk in my hair. It made me wonder if he could get it out since it has been in my hair for a long time.

Sometime later, I heard the door open and close. I looked over my shoulder and saw Levi walking in. This time he was wearing two cloths, one on his head, and one covering most of his face. He was also carrying a set of clothes and a bucket of water with a white cloth hanging out.

"How do you like the tub, Marianne?" Levi asked me as he set his things down.

"Oh...well the water is really nice, sir. I feel so refreshed." I replied. "Umm, can you really get the gunk out of my hair?"

"Well considering that it's been sitting there for almost a week, this could take a while."

I watched as Levi rolled up his sleeves. Then he pulled up a stool and sat down, soaking the white cloth in his bucket of water before facing me.

"Lean forward."

"Uhh be gentle, please?"

I tilted my head forward and kept still as Levi started scrubbing my hair with the cloth. After scrubbing for a long time he would soak the cloth in the bucket before scrubbing my hair again. Gee, this was taking a long time. The gunk must have really been stuck in my hair that Levi was having a hard time getting it out. I decided to ask him a question, thinking maybe a conversation would do us some good.

"Umm...Levy sir, if I may ask, what was it you said about...me learning how to clean?"

"It's Levi," he responded. "And you didn't think I was just gonna let you wander around here doing nothing, did you?"

"Umm, no not really." I figured he was gonna make me do work around Headquarters.

"Good, you're a smart kid."

As he continued to clean my hair, I listened carefully as he explained to me about what I would be doing.

"One of the rules that everyone must follow, is that this place needs to be kept thoroughly clean. While you're staying here, you will be expected to help clean each and every room. The hallways, the stairs, the Barracks, the Mess Hall, the Offices, all these rooms need to be dusted, swept, and mopped every day."

"Every day?" I said surprised. My parents only made me clean once a week. Gosh, I knew I was gonna be put to work, and I'm usually eager to help too, but cleaning a bunch of rooms everyday? That sounded like a lot of work.

Levi continued, "We all walk through those rooms every day, and dust gathers quickly. So it is important that everything and every room is spotless. This doesn't mean you'll be working twenty four-seven of course. If you successfully complete the tasks that you are given, then you should earn yourself a fair amount of free time."

"Really?"

"Children need to work, but they also need time to play, right?"

Levi put down the white cloth and checked my hair once more to see if there was any gunk left.

"Well would you look at that, no more gunk."

"Really...it's gone?'

"Yes, your hair is clean now. Took long enough though, guess we should've given you a bath while you were still unconscious. That stuff becomes harder to get out the longer you wait."

Levi stood up and placed the set of clothes on the stool.

"Here, Petra bought you some new clothes while you were resting. That dress you were wearing was filthy and torn to shreds, so I threw it away. Petra will be waiting for you outside shortly. Once you've finished up with your bath, she will show you around Headquarters."

"Y-Yes sir, Levy, sir," I said.

"It's Levi."

After Levi left, I sat quietly in the tub thinking about everything Levi just told me. I was going to have a lot of chores to do around here soon. Of course, I would also get time to play like he said, so I wasn't gonna complain. I was grateful that the Commander of the Scouts, Erwin I think his name was, was letting me stay. Doing chores around Headquarters was the least I could do.

As I was enjoying the rest of my bath time, I was looking forward to going on a tour of the place with Petra. I'm sure that will be fun for a while.


	4. Tour Around Headquarters

**Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan or any of the characters except my OC**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Tour Around Headquaters**

_Get rest when you can do it - AOT Wings of Freedom_

After I had just finished my bath, I dried myself off with a towel. Then I got dressed up in my new clothes, a blue long sleeved buttoned shirt, black pants, and a pair of small brown boots. Once I tied my hair back in its pigtails, I met with Petra in the hallway just outside the washroom.

"Did you enjoy your bath, Marianne?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am, I'm all cleaned up now. And thank you for these new clothes, they're really comfy." I said.

"Hehe, you're welcome, I'm glad you like them." Petra smiled. "Well, are you ready to begin the tour?"

"Yup, I sure am."

Petra took my hand and the two of us walked down the hallway as she began to show me around the Scout Headquarters. The first room she showed me was the mess hall.

"This is the mess hall, where all the scouts come to eat or hang out." Petra said.

As I looked around the room, I saw lots of soldiers sitting at the wooden tables. Some were eating food while others were reading books and playing board games. As Petra and I walked through the area, some of the soldiers greeted us and Petra introduced me to them. I was feeling a little shy though, so I just waved hello to them.

Next, Petra showed me the barracks. Those were the rooms filled with bunk beds where the scouts would sleep. There were two separate sections, one for the males and one for the females.

After that, we continued on down the hallways until we ran into someone. A tall man with blond hair, and there were two other soldiers walking beside him. I watched as Petra greeted him and...did a very strange gesture.

"Good afternoon, Commander."

The tall man spoke to us.

"Ah Petra, and this must be Marianne. She has made a full recovery I presume?"

"Yes sir, I'm showing her around Headquarters now." Petra turned to face me. "Marianne, this is Erwin Smith, Commander of the Scout Regiment."

"Ah! Uh, hello to you sir." I greeted him politely.

Erwin knelt down to my level and held out his hand toward me, offering a handshake.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Marianne." He smiled as we shook hands.

"Yes sir, thank you so much for letting me stay here." I replied.

"It's the least we could do for you. Levi told me much about you so I already know what you've been through." Erwin stood up. "I've informed everyone of your presence, so don't worry. We'll do everything in our power to keep you safe from those bandits."

"Okay," I said.

"Since Petra is giving you a tour, would you like to visit my office?"

I looked up at Petra who nodded her head at me before I looked at Erwin.

"Sure," I nodded.

We followed Erwin up a flight of stairs and then we came to his office. Wow, the room looked really neat. His desk stood in front of a window with curtains hanging down the sides, and there were two bookshelves on each side of the room. We didn't stay long though because there were other areas of the Headquarters to see. Before we left, Erwin spoke to us.

"If you ever have a problem, you can talk to me or any of my soldiers. I'm sure living in a military base surrounded by soldiers is new and scary to you at the moment, but we will do what we can to make sure you feel comfortable here."

"Yes sir, thank you." I replied.

As we walked down the hallway some more, I was curious about...what she did earlier, so I decided to ask her about it.

"Hey, Petra?"

Petra looked at me, "Hm, yes Marianne?"

"Umm, what was that thing you did in front of Erwin...that gesture?"

"Oh you mean this?"

We stopped walking and Petra showed it to me. She made her hands into fists. Then she brought one hand up to her chest, the other one behind her back.

"This is our soldiers' salute. It's our way of giving respect to our superiors." Petra explained.

"Like this?" I did the salute just the way Petra showed me.

"That's right, you're a quick study." Petra nodded. "The salute represents the resolve to work hard and give it your all, to put your heart and soul into it."

Wow, that sounds really important. I'll have to remember that.

* * *

Continuing on with the tour, Petra showed me more rooms, including the kitchen, the meeting room, and a research lab. The lab seemed messy inside, the table was covered with stacked books and scattered papers. A woman spotted us and immediately ran towards us. She wore glasses and her hair was tied in a messy ponytail. She seemed very eager to meet me.

_Fool on the Wall - AOT Wings of Freedom_

"So then, you're Marianne." The woman smiled at me.

"Uh...hi," I nervously greeted her.

"You might want to be careful around this one. She's very...eccentric." Petra whispered to me.

The strange woman didn't seem to hear what Petra said and introduced herself.

"My name is Hange Zoe, and I'm a Section Commander for the Scouts. Now what brings you here?"

"Nothing really, just giving Marianne a tour so she can find her way around this place. We won't be here long." Petra replied.

"Aww you're leaving so soon? Darn, I was hoping I could sit down with her and we could get to know each other." Hange replied gloomily before looking at me. "I could tell you so many stories about our expeditions and how I plan to capture a titan one day. Oh well, maybe next time."

My eyes widened at what Hange just said. She wants to...capture a titan? No way!

"Seriously, you're still trying for that?" Petra shook her head. "Hange, you do know that the commander won't allow it, right? Besides, capturing a titan is impossible. Just give it up already."

"Never," Hange said triumphantly. "I will never give up on that! I'm telling you capturing a titan would be a benefit for humanity. Besides, I would just love to get my hands on one of those babies."

Hange started laughing, which kind of creeped me out, while Petra rolled her eyes.

"Umm what's this about capturing a titan?" I asked.

"Never mind that. Come on Marianne, let's get going." Petra said.

We both started to leave until Hange stopped us.

"Hold up, before you go there's something I want to give you, Marianne." Hange said as she went to fetch something. After a few minutes of looking, she came up to me and knelt down to my level, holding two journals in her hands.

"Here, I have these two notebooks just for you. One you can use to write about your daily life and what goes on around you, and one you can use to draw pictures. Consider this a special welcoming present from yours truly."

"Oh, thank you Hange." I replied happily as she gave me the notebooks.

"Wow, that's actually really nice of you." Petra smiled.

"Now Marianne, these journals will become important to you someday, so be sure that you use them." Hange told me.

"Right," I nodded.

* * *

_Discipline Area - AOT 2_

After visiting more rooms, the next area Petra showed me had many horses behind the stalls. I noticed a few soldiers taking care of their horses, some were feeding them and others were petting them.

"This is our stable, where we tend to the horses." Petra said as we walked through the stable. "The Scout Regiment activities outside the walls are mostly done on horseback. So we have to care for our horses and make sure they're healthy."

Soon, we stopped at one particular stall where she introduced me to her horse. She placed a step stool in front of the stall and said that I could pet her horse. I was a little nervous though and I took a few steps back.

"Don't worry, she's a very friendly horse, she won't bite." Petra smiled.

Hearing that gave me a little confidence. I stood up on the stool and slowly reached my hand towards the horse's snout, and then she licked my hand.

"That tickles," I giggled as I petted her.

"Here Marianne," Petra took out something and handed it to me. "I grabbed this apple out of the kitchen, would you like to feed it to her?"

"Sure," I nodded.

"Okay, hold your hand out flat like this."

I held my hand flat the way Petra showed me as she gave the apple to me. Then I held the fruit in front of Petra's horse. The creature chomped it down and let out a light neigh.

"Wow, your horse seems really happy now." I said.

"She sure does, doesn't she?" Petra giggled.

* * *

After visiting the stable, we came to a forest not far from HQ. Hold on, what are we doing out here in the forest? Didn't Eld say that the forest was dangerous? I asked Petra why we were out in the forest, and she told me to take a look around and guess where we were. So that's what I did, I looked around and saw a bunch of tall, flat, wooden...uh people? And they all had patches on the back of their necks and their legs. Then I saw two soldiers coming down, some long hooks retracting back into the equipment they were wearing. Also they were carrying broken swords. The two soldiers noticed our presence and walked towards us.

"Hey, Petra. What are you doing out here, and who's this?" The female solider asked.

"This is Marianne," Petra introduced me to them. "I'm showing her around HQ."

"Oh, so that's the child you and the squad rescued." The woman then smiled at me. 'Well I'm glad to see that you're okay now. I'm Nanaba, by the way, and this is Gelgar."

"Nice to meet ya." Gelgar said.

That's when it suddenly hit me.

"I get it now! This must be the training grounds!" I exclaimed.

"You got that right, kid." Gelgar replied.

"Those wooden stands you see are titan dummies. We use them as a means to train to fight the titans." Nanaba explained.

"My father told me a bit about the scouts once, saying that you fight titans outside the walls." I said. "You guys must have to train a lot, don't you?"

"Well, practicing with the titan dummies is one thing, fighting real titans though, that's another story."

"Ugh, those giant freaks are a real pain in the neck." Gelgar groaned. "They may be slow, but even when we're using our ODM gear, they can still grab us and chew us up. And the abnormals, don't even get me started on them."

I took a few steps back and trembled in fear.

"I think you might have scared her, Gelgar." Petra said as tried to comfort me.

Nanaba glared at Gelgar, crossing her arms, before she knelt down and spoke to me.

"Hey, try not to let it get to you, okay? From what Commander Erwin told us, I understand you're going through some tough times right now. But you're in a safe place now, Marianne. So just make yourself at home, and we're here for you if you need us."

I just nodded silently. I was still scared and was also a bit sad now. When Gelgar brought up the titans eating us, it reminded me of losing my parents back in Shiganshina District. I was glad that the soldiers were here to help and take care of me but...I still missed my parents.

Nanaba and Petra stood up.

"Say Petra, how many places does Marianne have left to visit?" Nanaba asked.

"Umm...I think I've just about shown her everything around Headquarters." Petra replied. "All that's left now is to find a place where she'll sleep."

"What about the bar? You haven't shown her the bar yet have you?" Gelgar smirked before Nanaba elbowed him. "Ow...hey speaking of which, I'm parched. I'm gonna go get a drink."

"Gelgar!" Nanaba called out to him, but he had already walked off. She sighed before turning to face me.

"You take care, Marianne. We'll see you later."

After Nanaba left I asked Petra a question as we were heading back inside HQ.

"What's a bar?"

Petra looked uneasy.

"Uh...w-well umm...It's...it's a place where we have...adult beverages. But never mind that, let's go see if we can find a place for you to sleep."

She seemed hesitant about explaining to me about the bar. Was I not supposed to know about it or something? Oh well, it wasn't important or anything so I just shrugged it off.

* * *

_How do you Like Living Inside - AOT 2_

When we got back inside, we saw Levi at the bottom of the stairs and I got excited. I wasn't sure why, but for some reason I was really happy to see him again. We walked up to him and he was the first to speak.

"So Petra, I take it that you're done touring around?"

"Yes Captain, I've shown her every area and I've even introduced her to some of our comrades." Petra responded.

Levi then noticed something in my hands.

"What is that, Marianne?"

"Oh...these?" I showed him the notebooks I had been carrying with during the tour. "Hange gave me these notebooks and told me to use them because they'll become important to me someday. This one is for writing, and this one is for drawing."

"I see, well follow me. There's a spare room on the upper floor."

So we followed Levi up the stairs and we soon came to the spare room. When he opened the door for me, I gasped. It wasn't very big, but it looked very clean. The bed stood in the back right corner of the room. In the front right corner there were drawers where my clothes would be kept. A desk stood in the left corner near the doorway. There was also a window where the sunlight was shining in. I ran inside, setting the journals down on the desk, and looked around, smiling and laughing. I was really excited about this room.

"This will be your sleeping quarters," Levi said. "I cleaned this place up while Petra was giving you the tour. Took a long time to clear out every speck of dust."

"What do you think, Marianne?" Petra asked.

I ran up to them before I responded excitedly.

"I love it, this room is perfect! Thank you so much, Levy!"

"Levy?" Petra seemed confused.

"It's Levi," he glared. "Anyway, you're allowed to think of this place as your home, but know that you'll be under my watch from now on. Starting tomorrow you will be completing whatever tasks I assign you."

That's right, I will be doing chores the next day. That's okay though, at least I got to tour around Headquarters with Petra for a while, and that was fun. I'm ready now for whatever he wants me to do.

"You remember the salute I taught you?" Petra asked.

Oh yeah, the soldiers' salute. The resolve to work hard, to give it your all, and to put your heart and soul into it. So I stood before Levi and saluted.

"I'm ready for work sir! I promise, I will do what I can to help out around the base! You rescued me when I was passed out! I've been allowed to live here, and you gave me this room! In return, whatever assignment you have for me, I'll do it without question! I'll work really hard for you sir, cross my heart and hope to die!"

Levi was slightly surprised at my determination and enthusiasm.

"You seem quite fired up, Marianne." He was silent for moment until he continued. "Very well, I'll acknowledge your determination. Feel free to wander around and explore Headquarters for the remainder of the day. I expect much from you tomorrow."

"Yes sir!" I replied eagerly.

With that, Levi left the room while Petra spoke to me.

"Wow, you haven't been here for very long, but I think you've actually managed to impress Captain Levi already."

"Really, you think he's impressed?" I asked.

"Yes, I think he saw how eager and willing you were to work for him." Petra's expression turned somewhat serious. "I should tell you though, he can be quite harsh sometimes, especially when it comes to cleaning. So make sure you listen to him and do what he says, okay?"

"I'll do my best."

"I'm sure you will."

After Petra left, I decided to use one of my journals and write down everything that's happened to me so far. I sat down at my desk, opened a journal which revealed a pen inside, and started writing.

_Music stops_

* * *

_Journal Log_

_A week ago I was kidnapped by some mean bandits that wanted to sell me to the Underground Market. Luckily, I managed to escape from them. Later, I woke up at the Scout Regiment Headquarters, where I was surrounded by soldiers named Petra, Oruo, Gunther, and Eld, they were members of the "Special Operation Squad." They explained to me that they found me passed out in the field and they brought me to the infirmary. Apparently I was unconscious for 4 days, but I only had some minor injuries and I made a full recovery after just a few more days worth of rest._

_Once I was healed, Levi (I think he's the Captain of the squad) helped me with my bath, and then Petra gave me a tour of HQ so I would know where everything was and wouldn't get lost trying to find my way around. I met a lot soldiers here, including Erwin, the Commander of the Regiment who was letting me stay here, and Hange, the Section Commander who gave me this journal._

_After the tour, I was given my very own room. Then Levi explained to me that I would be doing work around HQ starting tomorrow. I'm eager to help him with whatever he needs. At the same time though, I'm also a little nervous because Petra told me that Levi is harsh about cleaning. I guess I just got to do my best. Hopefully I don't disappoint him. For now, I'll just take the rest of the day to explore HQ while I still can._

* * *

**Hey guys, hope you're all enjoying this story so far. I think I'm happy with how this chapter came out, but I do apologize if this chapter was a little fast paced, and if any of the characters were out of character here.**

**Until next time.**


	5. Training

**Now don't be fooled by the chapter's name - NO, MARIANNE IS NOT GOING TO TRAIN AND LEARN HOW TO USE THE ODM GEAR! - I mean obviously there are no "kid sized" manuver gears, but beside that. Marianne is going to clean for a bit, and then she's gonna watch the soldiers train. Remember, Marianne is a six-year old girl who's living with the Scouts because she lost her home and her family. She's not just some random kid who encounters the Titans and goes "Oh dang, the Titans took my family away, I think I'll go and join the military, lol." :)**

**Anyway with that said, let's begin the next chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan or any of the characters except for my OC. (Geez, do I have to write this every time?) ****Also I use the word "soldier(s)" a lot in this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Training**

The sun was shining through the window of my room the next morning. As the sun's rays hit my face, I sat up in my bed, yawning and rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Then I got up and walked over to the window to look outside. I always liked staring at the sky back in my hometown, but this time, since my room was on one of the upper floors, I also got to stare at the trees out there. I smiled as I looked out at the environment in front of me. The sounds of the birds singing, and the gentle breeze blowing was so relaxing.

"Oi, Marianne."

"Ah!" I was startled by the sudden familiar voice along with the sounds of knocking at my door. I opened the door and was greeted by Levi.

"Oh, good morning Levy, sir," I said as I saluted him.

"It's Levi," he glared. "So, do you know what you'll be doing today?"

"Umm...I have to clean, right?"

"That's right. There's dust everywhere, so I'm having the whole squad clean up as well. As I recall yesterday, you were filled with optimism and determination when you promised that you would work hard. So let's see you put that energy to good use."

"Right, I won't let you down, sir," I nodded.

"Very well," Levi replied. "Breakfast will be ready in 15 minutes. That should give you enough time to wash up and get ready. Don't be late, Marianne."

"Yes sir," I said as Levi walked off.

After he left, I used this time to fully wake myself up and get ready for the day. I stretched my arms up high in the air. I then went to the washroom and took a quick bath. After that, I got dressed and I brushed my hair before tying it in my pigtails. Today was going to be a busy day for me.

* * *

After breakfast, Levi had me cleaning the barracks. He told me to come find him when I was done so he could check my work. I spent a little time alone mopping the floor and wiping the dust off of the bunk beds, and before I knew it, the place was clean. There, that didn't take long at all. I thought I did a pretty good job cleaning the barracks. As I was told, I went to go find Levi. I walked through the hallways until I found Petra and Oruo in one of the rooms. Petra was sweeping the floor while Oruo was cleaning the windows.

_Can I touch your arrrrrm!? - AOT Wings of Freedom_

"Hi Petra, hi Oruo," I greeted them.

The two seemed to noticed my presence and stopped their work.

"Well hey Marianne, did you finish cleaning the barracks already?" Petra asked.

"I sure did," I replied confidently. "I'm looking for Levy now, so he can check and see how I did."

"Hmm, well I think he should be in the mess hall right now," Petra said thoughtfully.

"Okay, thank you."

I started to walk away, but then...

"Oi, it's pronounced LEVI, you hear?" I stopped as Oruo called out to me.

I turned around and saw him walking towards me. Then he spoke harshly as he glared down at me.

"Listen up, kid. You may be living here now, but don't think for a second that we're gonna go easy on you. Everything the Captain says, goes, so don't screw anything up or get in anyone's way, you understand?"

"Uh I-I won't sir, I won't," I replied quickly.

Petra rolled her eyes as Oruo continued.

"You better not. And one more thing, whatever problems you may have, you have to deal with them yourself, because we'll be too busy to babysit-AAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHH!"

I flinched as Oruo suddenly started screaming while covering his mouth. When he removed his hands, I saw his tongue sticking out. Did he just bite his tongue? Ouch, that's got to hurt.

"There you go again spouting nonsense, Oruo," Petra chided calmly as she tossed him a handkerchief and stood next to me. "Of course we will not be too busy to take care of her. This child needs us and you know it."

"Is he okay?" I asked her.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Trust me, this is not the first time he's bitten his tongue." Petra smiled as she patted my head.

"I scared her good, didn't I?" Oruo smirked, wiping his mouth. "It's all going just like I planned."

"What plan? You mean back when she first woke up and you told her that she couldn't stay here? Well I think she really was scared when you said that." Petra frowned.

"What can I say? Children are easy to scare. If we're gonna let any of them stay here, you got to induced fear in them, so that they'll think twice before causing any mischief."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure Marianne is scheming to make a mess of the place. You can tell by the mischievous look in her eyes."

Petra was being sarcastic when she said that of course. I did misbehave once when I was 4 years old. I made fun of a boy who was blind and my parents made me apologize to him. That was 2 years ago before Wall Maria was destroyed. Anyway, I have a place to stay now and these soldiers will protect me from the bandits. So I wouldn't misbehave, and I think Petra knows that.

Petra continued, "But seriously, you really should stop trying to act like the Captain, you two are nothing alike. Even he himself would never have suggested taking her to the Military Police."

"You've still got ways to go before you're fit to be my wife, Petra dear," Oruo chuckled.

"In your dreams."

"What's going on in here?' Levi asked when he suddenly showed up.

"Sir," I stood to attention while Petra and Oruo immediately went back to work.

"You were supposed to come find me when you were done, Marianne," Levi said.

"Sorry sir, I got distracted," I replied nervously.

"Never mind, let's check your work."

_Music stops_

Back in the barracks, Levi checked all around the room to make sure everything was clean. It seemed like he approved of my work so far, but then he brought his hand up to the frame on a bunk bed and felt underneath it. Once he checked all the beds, he stood before me.

"There's dust on the bunk beds frames," he frowned as he showed me his hand which had dust on it.

"What?" I gasped. I could have sworn I just cleaned the bed frames. Maybe some of that dust already landed there before Levi checked.

"Redo the whole room from scratch," he ordered, glaring as he walked past me. "This time, I'll watch."

Redo the whole room, is he serious? Does that mean I have to mop the floor and dust off the bunk beds again? My goodness, when Petra said that Levi was harsh about cleaning, she wasn't kidding. The fact that he was gonna watch me this time made me really nervous.

_The Cause of Anxiety - AOT 2_

So as I was told, I cleaned the barracks again. Once I was finished, Levi checked my work again, and he still found dust somewhere. I thought he was gonna order me to clean the barracks again, but this time he said he'd do it himself and told me to go clean one of the offices. Unfortunately, the same thing happened. I cleaned the office and had Levi check it. He found a bit of dust and told me to redo the room again while he watched. I clean the room again, Levi checks and, yup you guessed it, he finds dust and decides to clean the office himself. I went to clean another room...but the exact same thing happened again. Levi eventually told me to take a break and go find a place to rest, and so that's what I did.

I plopped down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. I needed the rest because I knew there was gonna be more work ahead. I couldn't fall asleep though. If I did, then I probably wouldn't be able to wake up in time for my next task. As I stared at the ceiling, I began to let my thoughts drift.

It's only been a week since my arrival, but so far Levi's been really hard on me with the cleaning. It seems like every time I clean a room, he would find a speck of dust and then he would make me clean the whole room again. I did promise that I would work hard for him, but I didn't want to keep cleaning the same area again and again every time I missed a spot. So, what am I doing wrong?

If Levi was hard on me, will the other soldiers be harsh too? Oruo said they weren't gonna go easy on me. Then again, Petra did tell me not to pay attention to everything he said, so I guess I shouldn't worry too much.

I continued to stare at the ceiling, my body resting on the couch while I kept myself awake. I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually I heard quiet footsteps coming toward me.

_Fool on the Wall - AOT Wings of Freedom_

"Yoo-hoo, Marianne!"

"Ahh!" I bolted up, startled by the voice. I looked up and saw that it was Hange. There was another solider standing beside her as well.

"Oh, hello Hange," I greeted her.

"Aww did I scare you? Sorry about that, didn't mean to interrupt whatever dream you were having," Hange replied apologetically.

"Umm, who's that?"

"Oh, this is my assistant, Moblit. Moblit, meet Marianne Haywood," Hange introduced.

"Hey kid," Moblit greeted.

"So how's it going, Marianne?" Hange asked me. "I bet Levi's got you dusting every nook of HQ, hasn't he?"

"Umm, yes ma'am. I cleaned each room twice, because whenever I missed a spot, he made me do it again," I replied.

"That certainly sounds just like him," Hange remarked. "Well, just hang in there little one. Once you get used to it, it's not so bad."

"Section Commander, it's almost time for the training regiment," Moblit said urgently.

"I know, I know, just give me a second."

The training regiment? Oh man, just how long was I staring at the ceiling for?

Hange continued, "So Marianne, everyone is headed out to the training grounds to...well, train. I was wondering if you would like to come along and watch?"

So I'll get to watch the training regiment? Well, I was a bit curious about it, and being able to watch the training regiment would surely help take my mind off of things.

"Sure, I'll watch," I nodded.

"Great, then let's go!" Hange exclaimed with excitement.

As we started to head out for the training grounds, I heard Moblit talking to Hange.

"Are you sure we should bring her with us?" Moblit asked with concern. "It's gonna be dangerous you know."

"It'll be fine, Moblit. I'll keep an eye on her as she watches," Hange assured him.

* * *

_Build a Campsite Here - AOT 2_

When we arrived at the training grounds, I saw that there were a bunch of scout soldiers gathered together for the training regiment. Petra, Gunther, Eld, and Oruo were there too. So were Nanaba and Gelgar. Erwin and Levi stood in front of the soldiers that were all lined up waiting for their orders.

"OIIIII!" Hange called out to them. "DON'T START WITHOUT US!"

Erwin and Levi looked in our direction as we approached them.

"You made it just in time, Hange." Erwin noticed that I was with her and Moblit. "And I see you brought Marianne with you."

"Of course sir, I brought her out here because she's going to train with everyone," Hange replied.

"Wait what?!" My eyes widened with fright at what Hange just said. I thought I was just here to watch. She never said that I was gonna train with them. I don't even know how to fight. If I were to start training like this, I wouldn't know what to do.

I heard the soldiers' gasps as well, theirs eyes widened too, including Erwin, Levi, and Moblit. I guess they all must have been just as shocked as I was.

"S-Section Commander, y-you never said-" Moblit started to speak up but was interrupted by Levi, who was glaring at her.

"Hange," he growled. "There is no way you're gonna make her train. She is only six years old, or have you already forgotten that?"

"But she just has to train with us," Hange replied enthusiastically. "Think about it, if Marianne trained as hard as she could, then she would make a great addition to the Scout Regiment. She could go on the expeditions with us and be the first child to slay a Titan. Heck, I bet she could even help me capture one!"

"Shut up!"

Levi grabbed Hange by the collar of her shirt and spoke venomously to her.

"You listen here, Four Eyes! The expeditions are not kid-friendly field trips. Every time we head outside the walls, we lose a great number of soldiers. The Titans eat them alive, stomp on them, or tear them apart. Most of the veteran officers are still traumatized even after years of experience. If Marianne witnessed all of that, who knows how she would react to it. Furthermore, she could get killed out there. If you have half a mind, you will not force her into something against her will! And one more thing, we are not capturing a Titan either."

Everything went silent for a moment until Hange burst out laughing.

"Tch, that's not funny," Levi growled as he shoved her back. Hange spoke when her laughter died down.

"Oh relax, Levi. I was just kidding around. Marianne's only here to watch, actually. I know the poor girl is going through a lot and still adjusting here. Heaven forbid should anything bad happen to her."

Hange turned to face me.

"Sorry about that, Marianne."

I accepted her apology, relieved that she was just joking. To be honest though, I didn't think it was funny either. I thought she was serious about it, that she really was gonna make me train.

"Marianne may join the Military when she's older. We are in need of new recruits, but it's up to her if she wants to join, Hange," Erwin said calmly.

"I know, sir," Hange replied. "So she's not participating, just observing. I will watch over her, so don't you worry about a thing."

"Umm...is it really okay for me to be here?" I asked.

"It's fine, just stay close to us, Marianne," Erwin replied.

With the training session about to start, Erwin faced the soldiers and gave the order.

"Alright scouts, your training begins now!"

_The Discipline - AOT 2_

Third Person View

Using their ODM gear, and their swords readied, the scouts launched into the forest and began their training. They all scattered in different directions as they navigated through the forest, cutting the napes from the Titan dummies. Some of the soldiers scored their kills alone while others attacked in groups. Nanaba and Gelgar approached a nearby Titan dummy.

"I've got the nape! Gelgar, you go for the legs!" Nanaba shouted.

"Right!" Gelgar replied.

With that, Gelgar struck the legs first while Nanaba cut the nape shortly after.

First Person View

I stood close by Erwin, Hange and Levi as I watched. I could hardly believe it, but I was watching a training session happening before my eyes. It was amazing seeing all the soldiers flying around attacking the Titan dummies. Erwin started speaking to me without taking his eyes off the training.

"Marianne, can you see how the scouts are cutting the necks from the mock Titans?"

"Yeah, I think so," I answered.

"That is where the Titan's weakness is. The back of the head to the nape of the neck" Erwin explained.

"What about the legs, is that their other weakness?"

"No, the Titans will regenerate any other damaged limbs. By removing the nape, the Titans won't be able to regenerate and they will disintegrate."

"So then, why are the scouts attacking the legs of the Titan dummies first, and then going for the nape?" I asked.

"That is a strategy for when we come across abnormals," Erwin explained.

"Abnormals?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Titans that behave in unusual manners. The idea is that one of the soldiers will severe the Titans' legs first to slow them down. Once they are incapacitated, the other soldier strikes the nape to finish it."

Huh...so the scouts have to work together to defeat an abnormal. I wasn't quite sure what an abnormal was, but I still continued to watch the training session. As it went on, I noticed that more Titan dummies were being set up. I also noticed that when a soldier approached the dummy, another one would pull ahead and cut the nape first.

"It doesn't look like those guys are working together very well," I pointed out.

"Tch, of course those idiots have to find a way to make it a competition," Levi groaned. "This isn't about who gets the most kills, it's about how we survive."

"Some people take pride in how many Titans they can kill," Hange commented. "If I recall, I think Oruo has the highest kill count of your squad, does he not?"

"Yes, but at least they fight together and not against each other."

Levi then spoke to me.

"Take a look over there, Marianne. That's where my squad is."

Third person view

Petra and Oruo slashed at the napes of their Titan dummies, removing them effectively. Then they followed Eld and Gunther as they approached more dummies.

"Get ready everyone! When I give the signal, we'll all attack together and take out the mock Titans!" Eld shouted.

Petra and Oruo flew towards one dummy while Eld and Gunther flew towards another, approaching each dummy at different angles.

"NOW!"

At Eld's signal, raising their swords high and letting out battle cries, the squad moved in for their kills. They struck the napes together on their respective dummies.

First Person View

My eyes glittered as I watched how Petra and the others defeated the Titan dummies.

"See that? They attack with speed and precision without getting in each others way," Levi said.

"Pretty impressive huh?" Hange quipped.

"Yeah," I replied without taking my eyes off of where Levi's squad was. It was incredible. If they fought together like this in training, then they must be able to take down a lot of real Titans when they're outside the walls.

_Spoils of the Hunt - AOT 2_

Soon, the training session came to an end. The scout soldiers flew back here and landed near us, including the Levi Squad, Nanaba and Gelgar, and Moblit. (Yes, he trained as well.)

"Phew, that was quite a workout," I heard Nanaba say as she wiped off the sweat.

"You can say that again." Gelgar replied.

"Petra!" I shouted with excitement as I ran towards her and the others. "Oh my gosh that was amazing! You guys were awesome out there!"

"Aww thanks Marianne," Petra chuckled a bit.

"Hahaha, you're right our squad is awesome. With all of us working together, nothing can stop us!" Oruo said proudly.

"See? Now you are being you again."

"Uh..."

Levi came over to compliment his squad, and they jumped into a salute.

"Good work as always. Keep at it."

"Sir!"

As Levi went to go scold the soldiers that competed against each other, I noticed Moblit panting with his hands on knees while Hange stood beside him. The poor guy must have been exhausted. Come to think of it, everyone seemed pretty tired.

"Oh man, I need to rest," Moblit huffed.

"Excellent work out there Moblit, you go take a rest, you've earned it!" Hange exclaimed as she slapped his back.

"Hey, that hurts."

"Alright everyone," Erwin got the scout soldiers attention. "The time for training is over, but anyone who wants to can keep training on their own. You're all dismissed."

With that, some of us started to head back inside while others stayed out to train a little longer. Training had ended, but the day wasn't over yet.

* * *

**Wow, I am terrible with fight scenes or training scenes, aren't I? I mean, I can't even write a freaking Pokémon Battle scene. Maybe I'm better off just writing slice of life stories instead. Anyway, next chapter, Marianne will learn about the Scouts Expeditions and how they are striving for change.**


End file.
